Metodos Hidrobiologicos

Abundancia y distribución de larvas de Strombus gigas

(Mesogastropoda: Strombidae) durante el período reproductivo

de la especie en el Caribe Mexicano

José Francisco Chávez Villegas1, Martha Enríquez Díaz1, Jorge Arturo Cid Becerra2 &

Dalila Aldana Aranda1

1. Laboratorio de Biología y Cultivo de Moluscos. Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del Instituto

Politécnico Nacional, Unidad Mérida, Carretera Antigua a Progreso, Km. 6, A.P. 73 Cordemex, C.P. 97310, Mérida,

Yucatán, México. Tel. +52(999)9429400 ext. 2538; jchavez@mda.cinvestav.mx, menriquez@mda.cinvestav.mx &

daldana@mda.cinvestav.mx

2. Laboratorio de Ecología Costera. Universidad de Occidente, Unidad Los Mochis, Blvd. Macario Gaxiola y Carretera

Internacional s/n, A.P. 936, C.P.81223, Los Mochis, Sinaloa, México; jcid@mochis.udo.mx

Recibido 14-VII-2011. Corregido 20-X-2011. Aceptado 20-XII-2011.

Abstract: Abundance and distribution of Strombus gigas (Mesogastropoda: Strombidae) larvae during their

reproductive period in the Mexican Caribbean. The Queen Conch (Strombus gigas Linnaeus, 1758) is a species

of economic importance in the Caribbean Sea, which, in the 1980’s represented the second fishery after de

spiny lobster, reason that is currently in a state of overfishing. In order to determine the larval abundance variation

during the reproductive season, four locations of the Mexican Caribbean “MC” (Mexico: Puerto Morelos,

Sian Ka’an, Mahahual; Belize: San Pedro) were sampled. Monthly, from May to October 2008, planktonic net

drags (300μm) were carried out at each location. Temperature (°C), salinity (ppm) and dissolved oxygen (mg

L-1) were recorded for each site. A mean larval density of 0.34±0.87 (larvae 10 m-3) was registered between

locations, with a peak in August and September (0.82±1.00 and 0.76±1.68 larvae 10m-3, respectively). The larval

density was 60% correlated with salinity (r=0.6063, p<0.05). A one-way ANOVA showed significant statistical

larval density in time (p<0.05) and space (p<0.05), where Puerto Morelos displayed the higher records during the

study (0.54±1.49 larvae 10m-3). An average larval size of 332.44±59.66μm was recorded. Larval sizes differed

significantly between locations (p<0.05), but not considering months (p>0.05). A 100% of the captured larvae

correspond to stage I, showing local reproductive activity, that might indicate the sampled sites in the MC are a

source of larvae to S. gigas. Rev. Biol. Trop. 60 (Suppl. 1): 89-97. Epub 2012 March 01.

Key words: Reproductive season, larval densities, Strombus gigas.

El Caracol rosa Strombus gigas (L.) se distribuye

en el Mar Caribe del sureste de Florida

al norte de Sudamérica, incluyendo las Antillas

menores y Bermudas (Randall 1964, Stoner

1997). En el Caribe, la duración de la temporada

reproductiva presenta un periodo de 5 meses

observado en Bermuda (Berg & Olsen 1989)

a 12 meses reportado en México (Corral &

Ogawa 1987), con mayor incidencia de mayo

a octubre (de Jesús Navarrete 1999, Aldana

Aranda & Pérez Pérez 2007; de Jesús Navarrete

& Pérez Flores 2007, Bravo Castro 2009).

La larva veliger de S. gigas tiene un lapso

de desarrollo de 21-30 días (Davis et al. 1993,

Aldana Aranda & Patiño Suárez 1998). Los

estudios de abundancia larval de S. gigas inician

en los 90, citándose los países de Bahamas

(Chaplin

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